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Isolated Renal Hydatid Cyst in a 6-Year-Old Boy: A Case Report
1Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Harran University, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
Insights
Isolated renal hydatid cyst (HC) is rare, especially in children. Kidney-sparing surgery is recommended for pediatric renal HC, with medical treatment as an adjunct to prevent spread.
Area of Science:
- Medicine
- Parasitology
- Pediatric Surgery
Background:
- Hydatid cyst (HC) is a parasitic infection caused by Echinococcus granulosus.
- Isolated renal involvement is a rare manifestation of HC, particularly in pediatric cases.
Observation:
- A 6-year-old boy presented with abdominal pain and distension due to an isolated renal HC.
- The patient underwent cystectomy via a flank incision using an extraperitoneal approach.
Findings:
- Postoperative follow-up showed no recurrence of the hydatid cyst at 6 months.
- Efficacy of medical treatment for renal HC is not well-established, suggesting its use as adjunctive therapy.
Implications:
- Kidney-sparing surgery is the preferred treatment for isolated renal HC in children.
- Nephrectomy may be necessary for non-functioning kidneys or complex cysts.
- Renal HC should be considered in endemic areas, even with negative serology in children presenting with renal cysts.
Abstract:
Hydatid cyst (HC) is a parasitic infection transmitted by oral ingestion of Echinococcus granulosus eggs. Isolated kidney involvement is extremely rare. It is even less common in children. We present a case of isolated renal HC in a 6-year-old boy from Şanlıurfa, southeast Turkey who complained of abdominal pain and distension. Cystectomy was performed with a flank incision using the extraperitoneal approach. No recurrence was detected in the postoperative 6-month follow-up. There are not enough data about the efficacy of medical treatment in renal HC. Therefore, medical treatment should be considered pre- and post-operatively to prevent dissemination, rather than being used as a primary treatment. Kidney-sparing surgery should be the first choice in patients with isolated renal HC. However, nephrectomy is recommended for nonfunctioning kidneys, large cysts thought to be connected with the collecting system, and cysts with suspicious tumor. In societies where HC disease is endemic, renal HC should be considered in children with cysts located in kidney, even if the indirect hemagglutination test is negative.
